# 1974 Amco Cup

The 1974 Amco Cup was the 1st edition of the NSWRFL Midweek Cup, a NSWRFL-organised national club Rugby League tournament between the leading clubs and representative teams from the NSWRFL, the CRL and the NZRL.
A total of 21 teams from across New South Wales and New Zealand played 20 matches in a straight knock-out format, with the matches being held midweek during the premiership season.
The Competition was originally going to have the 12 NSWRFL Premiership teams, the top 4 Brisbane Rugby League teams and the top 4 Country Divisional teams from the previous year. But when the Brisbane Rugby League teams and the winner of the 1973 CRL Championship, Newcastle declined to participate in the tournament, the remaining CRL Divisional teams, the 1973 New Zealand Inter-District Premiers, Auckland and the 1973 NSWRFL Second Division Runners-Up, Ryde-Eastwood were invited to compete instead.

## Qualified Teams

| Teams | League | Qualification |
| Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | NSWRFL | 1973 NSWRFL Premiership Winners |
| Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | NSWRFL | 1973 NSWRFL Runners-Up |
| Newtown Jets | NSWRFL | 1973 NSWRFL Semi-finalists |
| St. George Dragons | NSWRFL | 1973 NSWRFL Semi-finalists |
| Canterbury-Bankstown Berries | NSWRFL | 1973 NSWRFL Semi-finalists |
| Eastern Suburbs Roosters | NSWRFL | 1973 NSWRFL Sixth Place |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | NSWRFL | 1973 NSWRFL Seventh Place |
| North Sydney Bears | NSWRFL | 1973 NSWRFL Eighth Place |
| Western Suburbs Magpies | NSWRFL | 1973 NSWRFL Ninth Place |
| Balmain Tigers | NSWRFL | 1973 NSWRFL Tenth Place |
| Parramatta Eels | NSWRFL | 1973 NSWRFL Eleventh Place |
| Penrith Panthers | NSWRFL | 1973 NSWRFL Twelfth Place |
| Ryde-Eastwood Hawks | NSWRFL | 1973 NSWRFL Second Division Runners-Up |
| Southern Division (Capitals) | CRL | 1973 CRL Championship Runners-Up |
| Riverina (Capitals) | CRL | 1973 CRL Championship Semi-finalists |
| Northern Division (Capitals) | CRL | 1973 CRL Championship Semi-finalists |
| Illawarra (Capitals) | CRL | 1973 CRL Championship Fifth Place |
| Western Division (Capitals) | CRL | 1973 CRL Championship Sixth Place |
| Monaro (Capitals) | CRL | 1973 CRL Championship Seventh Place |
| North Coast (Capitals) | CRL | 1973 CRL Championship Eighth Place |
| Auckland Falcons | NZRL | 1973 NZRL Premiership Winners |
    $^1$ Replaced Wentworthville who declined to participate.

## Venues

| Sydney | Sydney | Queanbeyan | Orange |
| Leichhardt Oval | Belmore Sports Ground | Seiffert Oval | Wade Park |
| Capacity: 23,000 | Capacity: 28,000 | Capacity: 20,000 | Capacity: 10,000 |

## Round 1

| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue | Referee |
| Eastern Suburbs Roosters | 22 – 6 | Western Suburbs Magpies | Wednesday, 10 April | Belmore Sports Ground | Greg Hartley |
| Parramatta | 39 – 11 | Riverina | Wednesday, 17 April | Leichhardt Oval | Laurie Bruyeres |
| North Sydney Bears | 19 – 7 | North Coast | Wednesday, 24 April | Leichhardt Oval | D. McDonald |
| Balmain Tigers | 11 – 22 | St George Dragons | Wednesday, 1 May | Leichhardt Oval | Keith Page |
| Penrith Panthers | 18 – 10 | Ryde-Eastwood Hawks | Wednesday, 8 May | Leichhardt Oval | |

## Round 2

| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue | Referee |
| Newtown Jets | 14 – 18 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | Wednesday, 15 May | Leichhardt Oval | |
| Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | 34 – 10 | Parramatta | Wednesday, 22 May | Leichhardt Oval | |
| Western Division | 13 – 7 | Auckland Falcons | Wednesday, 12 June | Leichhardt Oval | Laurie Bruyeres |
| Canterbury-Bankstown Berries | 22 – 19 | Illawarra | Wednesday, 19 June | Seiffert Oval | Keith Page |
| Monaro | 21 – 32 | Eastern Suburbs Roosters | Wednesday, 19 June | Seiffert Oval | Geoff Cook |
| Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | 14 – 15 | Southern Division | Wednesday, 26 June | Leichhardt Oval | Laurie Bruyeres |
| North Sydney Bears | 14 – 19 | Northern Division | Wednesday, 3 July | Leichhardt Oval | Keith Holman |
| St George Dragons | 3 – 14 | Penrith Panthers | Wednesday, 17 July | Leichhardt Oval | |

## Finals

| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | Match Information | Match Information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date and Time | Venue | Referees |
| Quarter-finals ||||||
| Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | 22 – 7 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | Wednesday, 10 July | Leichhardt Oval | |
| Canterbury-Bankstown Berries | 10 – 12 | Western Division | Wednesday, 17 July | Leichhardt Oval | Keith Holman |
| Eastern Suburbs Roosters | 18 – 10 | Southern Division | Wednesday, 24 July | Leichhardt Oval | Les Ballard |
| Penrith Panthers | 31 – 11 | Northern Division | Wednesday, 31 July | Leichhardt Oval | Keith Page |
| Semi-finals ||||||
| Western Division | 12* – 12 | Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | Wednesday, 7 August | Wade Park | Jack Danzey |
| Eastern Suburbs Roosters | 9 – 10 | Penrith Panthers | Wednesday, 14 August | Leichhardt Oval | |
| Final ||||||
| Penrith Panthers | 2 – 6 | Western Division | Wednesday, 21 August | Leichhardt Oval | Laurie Bruyeres |
* *- advanced after a penalty count-back

## Awards
### Golden Try

* Malcolm Reilly (Manly-Warringah)